The Billywig Obsession
by nottheonlyfanaround
Summary: Draco finds himself particularly fond of Billywigs.


House: Ravenclaw

Word Count: 1285

Category: Standard

Prompt(s): [Creature] Billywig

Year: Head

* * *

"Mama?" came the soft voice of a young Draco Malfoy - who was tucked safely under his plush green comforter. His piercing grey eyes were staring almost imploringly at his mother - wordlessly asking her to turn and acknowledge him.

"Yes, darling?" replied Narcissa, her gentle voice drifting over to him from the bookshelf she hadn't stopped searching through. She got no response for a moment, and stopped her search for a suitable bedtime story - turning around to look at her son.

"Can you read about Billywigs again?" he asked, face looking up at her curiously. She smiled softly at him - a laugh spilling from her lips.

"Again, darling?" she replied, raising a perfectly sculpted brow in amused disbelief. Would it have been too much to ask for him to have chosen any other creature?

"Mhmm," he confirmed softly, the corners of his mouth tilting upwards - almost like he was fighting back a smile. He already knew he would get what he wanted, and yet Narcissa still continued on.

"We just read about Billywigs last night," she stated, amusement slipping onto her features. Narcissa had been reading to him about Billywigs for the past week, and each night he came up with a new excuse as to why he just _had_ to hear about them again. She was curious as to what the reason would be this time - it would undoubtedly be something ludicrous.

"I know, Mama," he responded, brows furrowed as he tried to work up a good reason to hear about the odd little flying creatures again. "I've forgotten what they look like though."

"Very well then," Narcissa chuckled, turning back towards the bookshelf and taking _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_ off the shelf. "Billywigs it is."

Draco squealed excitedly and slipped even further beneath his comforter, watching contentedly as Narcissa walked over and sat down on the corner of the bed. She began reading the chapter to him - her soft voice lulling him quickly to sleep. Narcissa smiled once she was sure he was asleep, leaning down to place a kiss on his forehead and heading off to her bedroom.

"What was it this time?" asked an amused Lucius, his tone telling her he already knew the answer.

"Billywigs," she replied, "as always."

And with that she slipped underneath their navy blue comforter, settling down for a peaceful slumber. Awaiting dreams that would surely be filled with the little blue creatures she'd been reading to her son about.

**0-0-0-0**

"Mama!" came Draco's furious screech as he thundered down the hall and into her room. It had been two days since she'd last read about Billywigs to her fiery little five year old - and he was not pleased. She was feeling tired that night, and so she'd asked a begrudging Lucius to read to their son instead. It wasn't going well.

"Yes darling?" she asked as he stomped into her bedroom, standing in front of her bed with his hands on his hips. He had been so quiet for the past half-hour that she'd presumed he'd already fallen asleep. She had - evidently - been wrong.

"I want _you_ to read the story," he demanded, cheeks puffed out and eyebrows furrowed in annoyance. In his hands was _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_ \- which was turning out to be the only book he would listen to when heading off to sleep.

"Why don't you want your father to read to you?" she asked softly, a tired smile slipping onto her face. Surely his reasoning would be just as ridiculous as all the excuses he made as to why he had to hear about Billywigs again and again.

"He doesn't read it right, Mama," Draco complained - Narcissa felt a bit smug that her husband wasn't their son's favorite. Lucius had bragged constantly when Draco had been born that their child would take after and look up to him more. Narcissa was glad to see that it wasn't the case.

"Can you read to me?" he asked sleepily, rubbing at his eyes with one curled fist, the other holding onto the storybook. His annoyance was quickly dissipating, and fatigue was quickly taking its place.

"Of course, my dear," she replied softly, patting the spot next to her on the bed. She watched as he scrambled onto the mattress next to her, settling himself down underneath the covers and handing her the little green book and peering up at her.

"Now," Narcissa asked - though she felt she already knew the answer, "what creature was your father reading to you about?"

"He was reading to me about Kappas," he replied sullenly, much to Narcissa's shock. Why in Merlin's name would Lucius think it alright to read to their five year old son about _Kappas_? They were beings of nightmares, horrid looking Japanese water demons that sucked the blood out of humans. They were definitely _not_ something to be read as a bedtime story. And they were most certainly nothing like the speedy little Billywigs, whose stingers merely caused the victim to levitate.

"I didn't like that chapter," Draco mumbled, as if reading her thoughts.

"I'm not surprised," she said, ruffling his hair for a moment. "Shall we read about Billywigs instead?"

He nodded enthusiastically and she read the chapter for what seemed like the one-hundredth time. She was sure that by now she didn't even need the book, she could have recited it by memory. Her annoyance at the repetition always dwindled when she saw her son's contented features - he would always be the most important thing to her. Draco quickly fell asleep, snoring softly from underneath _her_ covers. She sighed lovingly, closing the book and picking up her son - bringing him to his room and tucking him underneath his covers. Lucius still sat grumpily in the corner - as if still upset with his son's clear favoritism.

"Why would you read to him about Kappas?" she queried amusedly as they began walking back towards their bedroom.

"Because," he responded, opening the door and following Narcissa inside, "it was the only thing he ever wanted to explore other than Billywigs."

"Well," she sighed, "because of that I still had to read about Billywigs. _Again_."

"What if," Lucius mumbled vaguely once they were both nestled underneath the covers, "we did something?"

"Like what?" she asked, both intrigued and annoyed by the vagueness of his statement. He leaned forwards and whispered his idea into her ear, a small smile easing itself onto her face. _Yes_, she figured, _that would be perfect._ With that she drifted off into a peaceful sleep, and for the first time in a week it wasn't infested with Billywigs.

**0-0-0-0**

"Mama look!" Draco shouted, tugging Narcissa towards the enchanted cage of blue flying insects. He was clearly excited, and she was finding out that his excitement was terribly contagious. Another tug on her arm caused her to stumble forward slightly. Perhaps this wasn't the smartest idea.

"They're Billywigs!" he exclaimed in awe, his little eyes going wide as he stared at the creatures he'd been so obsessed with for the past month. Narcissa chuckled slightly, looking up at Lucius with a hopeful smile.

"Yes, darling," she replied, "they are indeed Billywigs."

Draco let out a small squeal of excitement - jumping up and down as one grew closer to the edge of the cage. It was so close enough that you could reach out and grab it - except you couldn't, not with the magical barriers placed around it. They stood there for around an hour, Draco's excitement lasting for every single second - Narcissa could only hope for one thing as they apparated home.

_**She could only hope that this would save her from reading about Billywigs yet again.**_


End file.
